


Labyrinth

by ComanderSprings



Category: Digimon Story Series | Digimon World Series
Genre: Angst, Digimon Cyber Sleuth Spoilers, F/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-18 17:48:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29247558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ComanderSprings/pseuds/ComanderSprings
Summary: Despite her fears, Ami plucks up the courage to Connect Jump and try saving her friend. She doesn't know if things will turn out alright. However, some risks are worth taking and what Ami does know is that she will navigate this labyrinth no matter what.
Relationships: Aiba Ami/Sanada Arata
Kudos: 3





	Labyrinth

**Author's Note:**

> It's been quite a long time since I posted anything here! Could any of you imagine I'd post Digimon fanfiction one day? I sure as hell didn't, but I'm glad I took this step. I hope everyone enjoys this one-shot ^^
> 
> PS: Buy Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth: Complete Edition

“Why are you hesitating?”

Those words brought Ami back to reality. It was a reality she still wasn’t able to process. She turned around to face the Digimon in black armor. Her eyes, stern yet caring, were waiting for an answer from the girl. Ami wished she could speak everything going through her mind: her fear of not seeing Arata ever again, her worry that he might not listen if she tried reaching out…

“Ami, you must do something soon!” Yuuko’s eyes were fixated on the monster behind Ami.

The monster Arata had turned into was obviously there, too. He bent over in pain after an excruciating battle. Ami’s Digimon—Rosemon, MegaGargomon, and HiAndromon—were also trying to catch their breath, but they fared much better than Arata...if the monster could be called that. Ami couldn’t keep her eyes off of him. While he looked pained, Ami feared that the creature’s stance was a trap. What if he absorbed her and her friends’ data if she got any closer? Her Digimon shared that sentiment and were around her at all times. If the monster wanted to attack Ami, he’d have to get through them first.

“Well?” The Digimon in black armor insisted, “Are you worried that your attempts to reach out to him will be futile? Do you believe he won’t listen to you?”

Ami’s attention went back to the large Digimon. She tried to respond, but no words came out. All Ami could do was sigh as her shoulders dropped. She already did this before, saving a friend from a dire situation. However, none of her friends had found themselves in those situations after going down a destructive path. Besides that, there was another huge difference: this time around, she had romantic feelings for the person to rescue.

Ami still blamed herself over Arata siding with Suedou. If only she had spoken up more, if only she had tried to stop her friend from doing all those things… Now it was too late. Would things ever be the same?

“I can tell you feel insecure, which surprises me,” the large Digimon spoke as she placed a hand on her hips—a gesture that reminded Ami of Kyoko, “I understand that this can be a scary endeavor, but it’s not your first time doing it. You did save Yuuko, so why would it be any different with Arata?”

“Because I worry he might have changed too much.” Ami blinked back a few tears. “It’s as you said. What if he doesn’t listen to me? I _really_ want to bring Arata back, but I’m not sure what’s the extent of Suedou’s manipulation.”

The Digimon nodded. “In that case, why don’t you Connect Jump and find out for yourself? Believe it or not, Arata is waiting there for you. You two are friends, aren’t you?”

“She’s right,” Yuuko joined, “out of all of us, you’re the one closest to Arata. If there’s someone he might listen to, that’s you.”

Ami looked at Yuuko. She had never thought of it like that, but it was true. For some reason, Ami was the one Arata turned to the most. Maybe she inspired him with confidence. If that was the case, why would this rescue mission be a failure? He requested her help even after going down the wrong path. Keeping that in mind, it was possible Arata needed her this time, too.

For the first time in a good while, Ami smiled. “Thank you both. I’ll do everything I can.”

After saying that, Ami turned around. Her eyes measured the distance that separated her from the monster. Although she wasn’t close to him, she was still close enough for the Connection Jump to work. Finally, the girl held out an arm and allowed herself—and her Digimon—to be absorbed by the data-eroding entity.

In under a second, Ami could no longer feel the ground beneath her feet. She found herself in the same space she ended up at the first time when TigerVespamon and her saved Yuuko. Much like they did outside, Ami’s Digimon kept themselves close to their Tamer at all times. Although the Path To the Spirit World wasn’t supposed to be dangerous, one didn’t know when a threat could arise. In the worst-case scenario, even Arata himself could become a threat. That was Ami’s biggest fear.

Ami wasn’t sure if she was moving forward or if her surroundings were moving backward. The black and white lines and circles swirling around her made it hard to tell. What she did know is that Arata was nowhere to be seen. With Yuuko, it didn’t take long until she came into her field of view. Ami had a feeling that Arata wanted to avoid being found and it looked like she was right. Regardless, she refused to go back to the human world without at least seeing him. 

“Can any of you see something?” Ami asked her team.

“Negative,” HiAndromon droned.

“All we can do right now is move forward,” Rosemon said.

_Will that take much longer?_ Ami asked herself as she looked from side to side. There was nothing remarkable to see. Just her, her Digimon, and those crazy swirly shapes. It was obvious that finding Arata was taking far longer than finding Yuuko did. Ami didn’t want to think about it, but there existed the possibility that the Eater had fully assimilated Arata. If that was the case, there was no way she and her Digimon could find him. Her only option would be going back to the human world and deciding what to do about the Eater. It was a situation she wanted to avoid.

They all kept going for a bit. At one point, Ami decided to look to her right. It was then that she could hear MegaGargomon call.

“I think I saw something just now!”

Ami’s eyes lit up. “Where?”

“I saw something heading left over here.” MegaGargomon pointed at the endless horizon.

Upon squinting, Ami noticed a bifurcation. She didn’t remember seeing anything like that the previous time. Her idea could be right, then. What if the Eater’s inside was changing to keep her from finding Arata? Could Arata himself be willing those changes into existence? As the Digimon named Kyoko said, there was but one way to find out.

The group reached the bifurcation and headed left. A new straight path opened up before them. Ami sighed. They had just returned to square one.

Rosemon noticed her Tamer’s frustration. “Don’t worry Ami, I’m sure we are on the right path. We just need to be patient.”

“We _have_ to be if we want to reunite with Arata,” MegaGargomon joined.

Ami looked over her shoulder to see her Digimon. “Don’t worry guys, I’m not giving up any time soon.”

The girl looked back ahead and her heart skipped a beat. A figure stood in the distance and, while it was too far away to tell what it was, it was clear that Ami and her Digimon were not alone. She blinked a few times to make sure she wasn't seeing things. The figure was still there, motionless. It felt like It was waiting for her. 

Ami’s mouth curved into a smile. "Can you guys see what I see?"

"Affirmative," HiAndromon answered, "we should keep going forward."

The group headed for the end of that long aisle. Everyone tried to go as fast as the place’s physics allowed them to. Ami didn’t take her eyes off the distant form. If that was indeed Arata, she wanted to be the first to call his name. Then, she would reach him and either throw her arms around him or hit him for making her and their friends so worried. Truth be told, Ami didn’t know how she’d react upon seeing Arata. The clearest thing in her mind was that she wanted to find him and get him to safety no matter what.

Although she was still looking ahead, Ami ended up too absorbed in her thoughts. She couldn't process what was before her, she wasn’t thinking about it at that point. That’s why it all caught her by surprise. The shield, the red cape, the lance. They did find someone, but it wasn’t Arata.

It was Gallantmon.

Ami could feel her stomach sink. She would have turned away, but she didn’t want to be impolite. It was clear Gallantmon had spotted her too, so now she had to say something. However, Ami had no idea what to say. She got closer to him. The awkwardness of that encounter filled the air, not even the Royal Knight knew what to say. That’s why Ami decided to speak first.

“Uh, hello…”

“Hello,” Gallantmon answered. After a pause, he spoke again, “I hope this isn’t insensitive to ask but, were you a victim to the boy too?”

“Oh, no.” Ami shook her head. “I came here to try and rescue him.”

“So what you say is that you came here on your own accord.”

Ami nodded without knowing what else to say. After a few seconds, the silence got unbearable, so the girl blurted out a question, "Are you okay?"

The question caught Gallantmon off guard. He stared at Ami for a couple of seconds before talking. "Yes, I am. The only problem is that I feel weak. I'm afraid that if I were to be freed, I wouldn't be of much service."

"You still should be freed." Ami looked away for a moment, then back at the Royal Knight. "I can't speak on behalf of my friend, but I'm sorry that he did this to you."

"No need to apologize, you shouldn't feel guilty either," Gallantmon said, "you and I had different views on this situation and I understand that you wanted to protect your friend.

"In all honesty, I'm hoping you find him and take him back to the right path. Things might not go back to the way they were right away, but it's the first step."

“Thank you so much.” Ami bowed her head without thinking. She was talking to a Royal Knight, after all. “By the way, did you happen to see my friend around? He should be there somewhere.”

“Unfortunately not. Besides, I want to avoid seeing him again and I’m sure he feels the same way. I doubt we can ever reconcile.”

“Ah, I see...I can’t blame you.” Ami shot a glance at her Digimon, who were waiting patiently. “Anyway, thank you for your time. I’ll make sure to find a way to save you both.”

“You’re most welcome,” Gallantmon answered, “your effort is much appreciated.”

Ami raised her hand as if to wave goodbye, but she felt strange acting so casual towards a Royal Knight. Sure, she was used to Nokia’s Omegamon, but this wasn’t the same. Omegamon was her best friend’s partner. Gallantmon was a Digimon she barely had any contact with and the times she did, they were on opposite sides. Ami resorted to a simple “Goodbye” and Gallantmon responded the same way. After that, she and her Digimon turned back and headed for the bifurcation again.

“Do you think we’ll come across all the Digimon Arata absorbed?” MegaGargomon asked no one in particular.

“I don’t think so,” Ami answered her partner, “I believe Gallantmon is here because he’s too powerful to be fully assimilated.”

“That makes sense,” HiAndromon said.

After a while, the group was back at the partition. They headed for the right side this time and hoped to obtain a different result. The idea that she might see Arata at any time had Ami’s heart beating fast. Who knew how close—or how far—they were to finding him. Although she had him before her eyes not even an hour ago, Ami wanted to see her friend again. She wanted to forget the sight of that bizarre monster. Only seeing the real Arata would help her achieve that.

As they went, Ami noticed that the path they were at turned left. Once they were close enough, she turned to face her Digimon. “This is the only other path. If he isn’t here, I’ll be even more concerned.”

“Please don’t falter,” Rosemon comforted her, “we will find him one way or another.”

“She isn’t going to falter, she said it before,” MegaGargomon said.

“Would you like me to make a calculation?” HiAndromon’s eyes flashed as he prepared for the process.

“Thanks, but it’s not necessary.” Ami turned around and floated away. “Let’s go! We’ll find out right now.”

Everyone followed after Ami. That new section was much shorter than the other ones. It ended in a right turn that led to yet another new route. That had to be it. There was no way Arata wouldn’t be there. Ami took a hand to her chest as she breathed deep. If her friend was there, she was ready for anything. It didn’t matter how long it’d take to convince him. Ami refused to leave that place empty-handed.

The four of them headed for the new pathway. As usual, a seemingly endless road opened up before them. There didn’t seem to be anything remarkable there at first, but that changed as they kept advancing. This time, it was Ami who spotted it first. Far away, she saw a figure that came in from the right. It looked much smaller than Gallantmon did at that distance, so it wasn’t him again. Ami almost moved her arms in a swimming motion to try to go faster, but she soon realized how silly that would look—not to mention it would be useless.

She had to be patient. Every second moving forward was a second closer to discovering the newcomer’s identity. Every second moving forward allowed Ami’s hopes to grow. The closer she and her Digimon got, the more familiar that form became. If the girl’s heart was beating fast before, now it was even hurting her chest. She had to tell herself to calm down, or she’d pass out before reaching the person at the end of the road. 

Was that person the one Ami hoped to see? Sure enough. Arata stood there with his back turned on the foursome. He was unaware that his alone time was over. As soon as she confirmed it was him, Ami tried to call her friend’s name, but her voice wouldn’t come out. It was like before the Connection Jump. Since her Tamer was unable to get the boy’s attention, Rosemon cleared her throat. Startled, Arata turned around.

There she was, the Cyber Sleuth and her Digimon team. Ami’s expression was hard to read. She tried to smile, but the look in her eyes was painfully sorrowful. Arata knew he was the cause of that. It killed him inside. Because of that, he didn’t know what to say. She didn’t know what to say either. They just stared at each other in silence until Arata decided to break their eye contact.

He turned his back on Ami and her Digimon. “Why did you bother coming here?”

Ami sighed. That was the exact kind of reaction she expected. “What kind of question is that? I’m here because you’re my friend and I want to rescue you.”

“Really?” Arata faced Ami and glared at her. “You still consider me a friend after everything I’ve done?”

“Well,” Ami began as she approached Arata a bit more, “I’ll be honest: it’s true you did some awful things, but you’re still a friend.

“Besides, I’m sure you would have never done any of that had it not been for Suedou. He manipulated you.”

Arata smiled sadly. “You’re too soft-hearted, Ami. Especially with people who don't deserve it...like me.” With those words, the boy disappeared.

Ami stared at the void in front of her. It also happened with Yuuko, but it was still frustrating. Now she and her Digimon had to look for him all over again. They went back to the path’s start. After that, they made it back to the short aisle. It wasn’t long before they left it behind. The four of them also traveled through the longer path that came before it. Just as they approached the end of the road, Ami spotted Arata a second time. He was about to exit that path.

“Wait!” She called out.

Arata didn’t listen. He kept going forward and he had no intention to stop. Suddenly, Ami saw herself in a chase akin to those in American movies. She would have found the idea funny if it wasn’t because the situation wasn’t funny at all.

“Who said you don’t deserve kindness? Just stop for a moment, please. Let’s at least talk about—”

“ _There’s nothing to talk about!_ ” Arata snapped. Now, he was finally still. “You’re right. I did awful things and they were all for nothing. I’m an idiot for thinking I could mend my past mistakes.”

“By ‘past mistakes’ you mean what happened eight years ago, right?” Ami asked, still approaching him.

Arata avoided looking at Ami. He kept staring down at the non-existent ground. “Of course I do. I abandoned my friend and now I’m doing it again. I just don’t have what it takes to help him.”

“You’re too harsh on yourself. You were just a kid back then and you got scared, that’s all. We both know you didn’t do it just because.”

“That’s easy for you to say.” Arata paused for a moment. He looked at Ami with a slight smirk. “You’re amazing, you know? Everything you do comes out right. You always know what to do...but me? I always feel powerless. I always worry that anything I do will look bad.”

Ami’s cheeks heated up at her friend’s compliment. However, that wasn’t the time to dwell on that. “Don’t say that! You helped us tons of times, didn’t you? We always appreciate your efforts. I know I always do.”

“That’s nice of you to say, but it doesn’t change my patheticness.” Having said that, Arata disappeared a second time.

“This is starting to feel like a Gatomon-and-Chuumon game,” MegaGargomon chuckled.

“What should we do next?” HiAndromon asked.

Ami had it clear. “We’ll go after him again. I don’t care how many times we have to do it.”

Her Digimon didn’t protest. They were aware of their Tamer’s feelings and they wanted a happy ending. Ever since Arata joined Suedou, Ami often looked absent and gloomy. She tried to hide it, but her Digimon knew her too well. Rosemon and the others hoped that bringing Arata back would make Ami be her usual, cheerful self.

The group left the bifurcation behind. They already knew Gallantmon was on the left side, so they didn’t check. Ami decided they would travel the path they started at. The place was immense and contrived, so she was sure there were routes they hadn’t seen yet. Everyone went through the long aisle not expecting to see much. It was just meters and meters of swirliness. At one point MegaGargomon complained that the scenery was making him dizzy, so Rosemon scolded him for staring at the shapes. 

After what felt like an eternity, Ami noticed something new at the end of the road. The path split in three, so now they just had to choose. It was a relief because she could feel herself getting desperate. Had they not found anything else, her Digimon could have suggested leaving and there was no way she’d leave that place without Arata.

They picked the middle road first. They had been following a straight path for a long time, so it made sense. While Ami hoped that these new roads would be short, that wasn’t the case. The group spent what felt like an eternity traveling that path to no avail. Upon noticing they were about to reach the end, Ami and her Digimon backtracked the road. After that, they decided to give the left path a chance.

Again, it was a long road, but it eventually split into two. Taking HiAndromon’s suggestion, Ami headed for the right path. They all got lucky this time: Arata came into view shortly after. He also saw them coming. Ami could see him shaking his head. Arata made as if to turn around, but he knew that was useless.

Arata groaned, “Why are you still following me?”

"Because I refuse to leave you here. You're coming back to the human world with me."

"If you really cared about me," Arata said, crossing his arms, "you would leave me be. How am I going to face everyone? Especially Yuuko…"

Ami’s voice took on a stern tone, “No offense, but you’re sounding really selfish right now.”

“Selfish? Me?” Arata gritted his teeth before continuing. “You’re the one calling me selfish? You keep chasing me around this place although you know I want to be left alone.

“Why do you think there are so many paths? I didn’t want to be found! What do you even gain from doing this?” 

At that moment, Ami’s chin trembled. “Do you want to know what I gain from doing this?”

“Yes, go on.”

“All I want is to take you back to safety and get my friend back. I— all of us miss you.” Ami looked down for a moment, then back at Arata. There were tears in her eyes. “I thought you valued our friendship.”

Now Ami was the one leaving. She turned back and floated away from where Arata was. Her Digimon followed after her in confusion. As for Arata, he stood still as he watched her go. The boy was starting to regret the way he spoke to his friend. Either way, Arata knew that would happen eventually. Ami would get sick of his attitude and she’d leave him. Everyone else would follow shortly after. He was destined to be alone and in his mind, he deserved it.

Meanwhile, Ami’s Digimon checked on their Tamer. “Are you alright?” Rosemon asked, taking a hand to her chest.

Ami ignored her Digimon’s question. “I knew he could be stubborn, but I never thought he’d reject my help like that.”

“Maybe he wants to reflect on his wrongdoings,” HiAndromon droned.

“He had enough time for that, methinks,” MegaGargomon said.

There was a tense silence between the four as they traveled the path. Suddenly, Ami turned back to the opposite direction—the one Arata was in. She breathed heavily as Arata’s words echoed in her mind. She was a missile in search of her target. No one could tell what would happen once she came across him, but it was clear Ami wouldn’t be friendly.

It didn’t take long until they reached Arata again. He had his back turned on them, but Arata knew he was accompanied again. That tug-of-war was starting to be tiresome and he didn’t feel like talking more. He feared hurting Ami further. Arata waited to see if they left, but that didn’t happen. He still felt their presence, especially Ami’s...but there was something different about her this time.

With his patience running thin, Arata turned to face Ami. He was about to tell her to leave already, but he had no time to say anything. Ami’s fist collided with his left cheek at the speed of light. Now he was the one caught by surprise. He never thought Ami could be capable of that...but he deserved it. Pain exploded like a hundred needles right where the fist hit him. That would hurt for a bit.

Before either of them could realize it, they were back in the human world. Ami kneeled on the floor, panting. Doing a Connection Jump into an Eater wore her out, but she didn’t care. It was all for a good cause. Meanwhile, Arata sat on the ground, pressing a hand to his pained cheek. He couldn’t see it, but it was red. Ami’s Digimon were there as well, and they weren’t the only Digimon who made it back.

Gallantmon was further away from the group. He used his lance for support to get up, but he had to stop to rest midway. Just as Gallantmon was going to try standing up for good, a large shadow covered him.

“Here.” The Digimon in black armor extended her hand.

“Thank you.” Gallantmon took the other Digimon’s hand and finally stood up.

“How are you feeling?”

It was the second time that day someone asked him that. “I’m good all things considered, but I don’t feel well enough to do battle.”

“It’s a pity you aren’t feeling well, we could really use your power,” the black-armored Digimon spoke, “Regardless, you should look for cover. Things are about to get serious.”

Gallantmon looked to his left. In the distance, he could see Leopardmon gathering energy. “I’m sorry I can’t help with this endeavor. I wish you all the best of luck.”

“I appreciate that,” the other Digimon said.

Gallantmon walked away intending to look for somewhere safe. However, something dawned on him. He stopped and turned towards his benefactor. “I must ask you one thing: do you happen to work with Royal Knights?”

The black Digimon chuckled, “Me? I’m just a humble knight doing her duty, that’s all.” 

Gallantmon could tell there was more to the black-armored Digimon. From her imposing presence to the way she spoke, it was clear she was more than “a humble knight”. However, Gallantmon was too tired to insist on the subject. He left for a safe place to protect himself from the impending battle.

While that exchange went on, Ami and Arata had one of their own as well. Both were now standing, somewhat recovered from the commotion of the sudden location change. Ami approached her friend to apologize for the punch. Just as she was about to talk, she noticed something about Arata had changed.

“Your arm!”

Arata looked at his right arm. His Eater limb was gone, now it was that of a normal human. He was indifferent to it. There was something taking priority before that fact. “So now you come here acting like you just didn’t punch me?”

“I actually came to apologize, but I noticed that and, well…” Ami’s shoulders dropped. “Are you still mad at me?”

“You went against my wishes, so I’m not exactly happy.”

“Come on, why would you want to live trapped in that dimension forever?”

Arata sighed, “Because I can’t face you or the others knowing I messed up. Why do you have to force me to do so?”

“Because we all must own up to our mistakes. Don’t get me wrong,” Ami said, “this isn’t about the incident eight years ago. I’m referring to the whole thing about you siding with Suedou.”

“Yes, that was pretty stupid on my part. I don’t need you to remind me.” Arata walked away from Ami.

“Wait! Where are you going?” Ami followed her friend.

Arata whirled around. “Somewhere I don’t have to put up with your sermons. Why can’t you leave me be?”

“Because you are too important to me,” Ami left that out without thinking. She watched as surprise changed her friend’s expression. “I’m fully aware you had it rough. I want you to know that I’m your friend and I care. You can always count on me, you know.

“That includes Nokia and the others, too. All of us were distraught when you became part Eater. Everyone will be glad to see you’re back.”

“If you say so…” Arata eyed his friend. Ami’s eyes looked brighter and less pained than before. It was unbelievable how forgiving she was.

_You’re too soft-hearted, Ami Aiba._


End file.
